Comments on: The shuttle senators http://www.spacepolitics.com/2004/07/19/the-shuttle-senators/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-shuttle-senators Because sometimes the most important orbit is the Beltway... Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:35:41 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.38 By: Dwayne A. Day http://www.spacepolitics.com/2004/07/19/the-shuttle-senators/#comment-915 Tue, 20 Jul 2004 14:13:28 +0000 http://www.districtofbaseball.com/spacepolitics/?p=250#comment-915 The op-ed leaves a little bit to be desired. Note how it says “we” in some places and “I” in another, as if it was written by one senator’s staff for him to sign, and at the last minute they decided to get a co-signer.

It’s also not well-argued. But it is a defensible position. Nelson has long said that he is concerned about a gap during which the United States has no human spaceflight capability. That is a reasonable concern (although also worth debating–the planned gap is about 4-5 years and we are right now in the middle of an unplanned 2-year gap). And the letter is right to note that projects always get delayed, so the gap could be longer.

There is also the additional question whether it is possible or safe to rush all the ISS flights into a 2010 deadline. I imagine a lot of people would like a 1-2 year slip.

]]> By: Fred Kiesche http://www.spacepolitics.com/2004/07/19/the-shuttle-senators/#comment-914 Tue, 20 Jul 2004 04:36:26 +0000 http://www.districtofbaseball.com/spacepolitics/?p=250#comment-914 Isn’t our space program pretty much already paralyzed by the shuttle? Can’t these two see the problems in having all the eggs in one launch basket?

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